3.1
Quality3.8
Difficulty68%
Would Retake116
Reviews68%
Would Retake
116
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
35
4
21
3
16
2
23
1
21
What Students Say
“I did not expect this class to be as difficult as it was”
POLS201 - 1.0 rating“Aaron is an excellent professor and does an exceptional job of staying absolutely neutral on political topics”
POLS202 - 5.0 ratingClass Info
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.96 avg changeRatings by Course
204206
5.0
(1)GOVERNMENT
5.0
(1)POLITICALSCIEN
5.0
(1)POLISCI2
5.0
(1)POLS205
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GOVT2
5.0
POLIT2
5.0
POSCI2
5.0
POLIS1
5.0
POLISECT
5.0
Reviews (116)
he's soooo hot!
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oh yeah
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spicy hot
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What an idiot. Your whole grade is based of of like 4 tests so don't miss more than two questions on each or your screwed. All he does is blather on about how rough his life has been and how he was all hardcore as a kid. CRAP. He's a total yuppy.
His lectures are interesting, but his tests are based on stuff he pulls out of his ass.
If your a spoiled conservative caucasian from socal, don't take him. His views are too liberal for you. But he is an excellent lecturer. If he didn't teach such a sheltered area he would get better ratings-and if you study, you'll get a good grade,I did
i really like the tesxt he works from. but he's extreme. foul mouthed. offers lots of examples but not sure about the validity cuz they are so off the wall. VERY unhelpful during office hours. good lecturer, but intimidating.
An acquired taste. Someone I would like to know outside of school as a friend, however as a Professor hes much to broad and stubborn to see the other side of things.
Encourages students to think for themselves,not simply following someone else's lead.Continuously raises controversial issues and questions.
horrible teacher. Only talks about how **** white people are, then he is a total a** to white people. won't listen to any one else's point of view. Steer clear of him unless you are a minority and a democrat.
Love him or hate him I guess. I think he runs a great class as long as you're going in there expecting to talk about controversial topics and able to pass a test without a study guide
Loves Michael moore, total liberal and staunch democrat. Do not take him! He is very biased and does not present anything else but his opinion and what he sees on CNN.
I got a B without really doing anything. Easy class. He's alright, I guess. He pissed me off a number of times. Not because he's very left wing (which he is, though I also am), but because he's kind of pissy sometimes. A lot of people love him. If you're a right winger, you'll hate him.
He's hard core! He is a knarly liberal who teaches what he thinks and nothing else. I am normally an "A" student. I barely got a "C". If you are a liberal and can understand those kinds of discussions, you'll do well. If you're a conservative republican, RUN!
A very smart man. Teaches you things about Government you have never thought about. Made it much more interesting. It was hard, but well worth it. I took his class 2 years ago and I still think it's one of the best classes I've had in college. Not a boring class.
don't listen to people that employ the false dilemma fallacy and try and paint the world in black and white views. this teacher brings various issues to the table and encourages other view points as long as they have credibility. study as if you were going to a university and you will do fine.
Intense Liberal. Foul Mouth.
I was in the class the first day and dropped it based on his foul mouth. He's the size of a mouse and has the mouth of a chihuahua on steriods!!! He's crass and hates conservatives! He's liberal to the core and doesn't talk kindly to anything but the psychological disorder "liberalism"!!!!! Take Mark Weber!
Don't take him.
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This is the most left wing on sided libral instructor that I have ever had. If you like reading books about homeless and watching Michael Mooron then its a good class for you.
He is a great teacher. I learn so much. The conversations are mostly always controvercial issues. He teaches you tothink for yourself. Look at the bigger picture of things and to find out how everything that happens can effect you. Wonderfull class.
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Awful Awful Awful teacher...most everyone i know dropped and the ones that stayed hated him.
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funniest yet true professor
he is a **** to the core!!! small man syndrom, total ****!!! he says he wont say his political views and that he is neither democrat or republican. but he is OBVIOUSLY hard core leftist ****! does nothing but tellu his opinion, and put down bush and the government. its ok to think that way but dont teach it as fact to students who are paying to learn! he is complete BULL****!!! I HATE HIM
chill teacher, grades based only on tests, most of the material comes from lecture, interesting teacher.
He is odd..and I think he needs to focus on the material more is some of his classes and not on other topics that don't really matter
The only teacher I have ever seen tell someone to shut the **** up, whcih was welcome since they neede to shut the **** up anyways.
this guy is the biggest****that teaches at cuesta he is the biggest piece of****!!!! The most liberal mother ****er in the world!! The first thing he tells you, is i dont share my views, yeah right! this guy is the most anti american person i have ever met. It was full class at first, and by the the second week, there was like 10 kids. This guy said he snatched someones cell phone and broke it in front of them. I wish i would have stayed in his class, so he could have tried that**** I hope he gets fired!
he has his own unique way of teaching and i loved it. he is a very good teacher. complete democrat. but honeestly you cant really be completely unbiased 100% of the time. its impossible and it is only his opinions you dont have to listen. second teacher i have ever had that cursed at the kids. but it wasnt constant and when it was directed at people it was because they deserved it. great teacher. good class. i highly recommend it.
Most unprofessional professor I have ever had to deal with. He deliberately lies to the class when he says he doesn't preach his political views to the class. Its a miracle this professor is still teaching. I approached him and respectfully disagreed with what he was telling the class, and instead of being professional and listening to me, he turned it into an argument! I thought I was in HS arguing politics with a whiney kid who was incapable of opening his mind to opposing views. I dropped the class
Liberal teacher. He says he will not include his views in his lectures but does not do a good job hiding them. His side goal in this class is to get students to become less apathetic towards society and the government. He also focuses on homelessness and racism, which are two good topics, but there are other topics to be discussed besides those.
i seriously have never been so miserable in a class. AHH!! I hope he is happy with the 6 kids left in our class, who all have D's because he doesn't prepare us for the impossible tests.
This guy is horrible. He insulted a select few students directly he cussed at us all the time he is very closed minded and he is disgusted with youth in general.He is a very bitter unhappy person and I don't know how he is still working at any school. He is very, very VERY unprofessional the worst teacher I have ever had. Save yourself and drop.
favoritism is obvious in the grading of writing assignments. Dick.
One of my favorite teachers at Cuesta Although very liberal. still gives both sides. He makes a very boring subject poly sci interesting. Also whole class based on test you only have to show up four times during the semester in order to pass the class.
Said that questions on tests are 50% from lecture and 50% from text, but about 90% of test questions came from the text that he never even mentions in his lectures. He is very very liberal. I am dissapointed b/c i love this subject and I got an F on my first test. Wish i would have taken someone else.
His intro gov class was less about government and more about problems. Was closer to a sociology class than a government class. He did not seem to understand the different sides to issues, unless it was his own opinion. Low tolerance for opinions other than his own.
Most of what he tells you are either lies or half truths, the 20+ year old books on the homeless are a waste of your time, and you'll hate this guy no matter what your political views are. The tests are also incredibly difficult - nobody in my class got an A. It's obvious he puts almost no effort in to the class, either. Avoid at all costs!
His opinion is always right. If you dont agree with him, he will squish you down like a bug. Tests are horribly hard. I didnt like him at all and he was very rude towards me when i asked him for help. He doesnt seem to care much. But if you do like political science and like to read A LOT you will do okay in his class.
his class was the worst one i've ever taken! the lectures are intresting, but his grading is insanly tough. get a diferent teacher!
Took three poli sci classes with him. You have to work hard, but now that i am a at a four year and a poli sci major, my classes seem easy as he prepared me well.
Only presents his own view, which is generally wrong.
AHHHH! Horrible Teacher! So hypocritical! I worked my ass off and he still failed me! 5 classes 4 A's and D. I never missed a class. Worst class ever!
Extremely hard! I would always go to class. I maybe missed two. I would always listen, but it's like he expected you to already know everything about government. and if you didnt, then you were pretty much screwed.
If you have this teacher get out now! He is awful. He doesn't teach and grades ridiculously. Don't waste your time with him.
Great teacher. The test questions are tough but very interesting. Lectures go by quickly and Rodriques always makes the lectures very entertaining. Put in the right amount of reading and study time and you will do fine. don't take pol. sci 2 if you have a heavy course load, however.
Take anyone but him. He gave my class a half a page of lecture notes for a 70 question test which is 1/4 of your grade. uh..hello?
If you can get a friend to take class notes for you, you could show up four times a semester and be fine. Professor Rodrigues is extremely liberal; despite his claims to avoid bias, he shines through clearly democratic. Also his grading scale is limited to four tests, and no extra credit. It is extremely hard to achieve an A. He also cusses a lot.
Professor Rodrigues is really great at helping you understand political science through current events. Despite his claims to cloak his political agenda he is HIGHLY Liberal. Furthermore, students should be warned that he uses foul language more then necessary!! Lots of F and S bombs. Four tests determine the ENTIRE grade--good luck!
YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOK!!! If you like current events, and don't mind reading the book, then you'll do fine. It's hard to get an A, but i enjoyed his class.
By far my favorite teacher at Cuesta. I've taken him for POLS 201 and 202 and really enjoy his lectures. Read the book and you will do fine. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Mr. Rodrigues knows his stuff! But,this class is demanding! It's only worth 3 units; it should be 4! A lot of reading is involved, with large portions assigned over a small amount of time. I learned a lot, but had trouble with some of his "quizzes" (30-60 questions). Overall, if you're into politics, hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
PROFESSOR RODRIQUES IS A GREAT INSTRUCTOR. HIS LECTURES ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTING AND EASY TO FOLLOW. HE MAKES IT PRETTY CLEAR WHAT HE EXPECTS FROM THE BEGINNING OF CLASS, YOU HAVE TO READ THE BOOKS OR YOU WILL NOT DO WELL.
Second to WORST professor EVER! Stay clear from this professor at all costs!! You basically have to know a lot about Political Science before walking into those doors. If not, don't expect to pass his class.
Literally, he is the perfect example of what a teacher should NOT be. He goes through random tangents which none of are on the tests, which are the only things he grades (total of 3). If you have no prior knowledge of Politics, don't bother wasting your time on this guy.. He needs to TEACH politics, not RAMBLE about politics. He is a joke.
Okay, I WAS interested in the calss until I started it.... he does have a 'foul' mouth and is not helpful at all if you donot understand anything. The sylibus said we would have many quiz's and tests to be graded on but were only graded on like 5 (less then a 1/4 of what we were told). The exams were hard, and he didn't prepare us for them well.
Terrible teacher. Random incoherent statements that undermine his credibility. Two books were irrelevant and miserable to read. Teacher seemed unprepared I suspect he's cruising through his last years until retirement.
Being in this guy's class was painful. We constantly spend two minutes learning something and fifteen on an immature conversation vaguely related to to it. Ex: we're learning about presidential impeachment and removal process? Let's chat about Monica Lewinsky, her blue dress, and other tabloid nonsense, LOL!(ps. his textbook is based on a theory)
I took him for 202 and 209. I like him as a person. However his handwriting is so hard to read, doesn't give any kind of lecture outline so it's kind of all over the place. Do your reading! He'll randomly get mad if you don't but then be cool sometimes. He's definitely a character. I got a B in both classes and didn't do much. Fairly easy but make sure you read and are involved in lectures.
I had him for comparative politics ( i think thats 206) and the class was really interesting. His quizzes are like 50 questions long and all multiple choice based. He says exactly what he is thinking and doesnt sugar coat anything. Has a bit of a foul mouth. Besides being sort of hard he is a good teacher!
His class is hard. It was based on four tests (each 25% of your grade) and it is mostly multiple choice questions, which he makes extremely tricky. I am managing to get a B in the class, but he can be very biased and blunt in his lectures, which makes them hard to sit through. His test book is based on a theory as well, not fact. Frustrating.
He is a GREAT teacher. He makes things understandable for us as students living in SLO county. He lays out the facts of topics and then gives a bunch of examples to back them up. Anyone who says he isn't a good teacher is crazy! He graduated from USC then went to Standford. He has a degree in Texas politics and did work for Yale. Take his class!!!
He seems to be one of those teachers who feels like his class is the only class you have to do homework for. He has students reading no less than three books. He seems to lean more toward sociology than poli sci. I was actually petitioning the class, but decided not to enroll when I saw the amount of reading he was assigning. No thanks!
Aaron is an excellent professor and does an exceptional job of staying absolutely neutral on political topics. He leaves all of the debates up to the students and his class is highly interactive but also time intensive. There is a single textbook and two depressing novels about poverty. You must read to pass, and if you read and interact you will.
He's amazing. Tough, yes, but amazing. Take it from someone who absolutely hates politics, he will catch your interest. Show up in class (and when I say show up i mean listen to what he has to say) and read the assigned books, that's all you'll really have to do.
He was interesting in class, and I enjoyed it as a lecture... however, on the first exam you had to do multiple choice AND an essay. I wrote what the book stated, but then presented a well-thought-out argument against it, and he gave me a 0% grade on it. He said that he was only interested in copying what the book said. Thank you for the GPA drop.
I was on the fence about taking this prof. and in the end decided to do it because of class arrangement/time. BIG mistake! His lectures are not organized, he rambles a lot about examples, when i personally prefer things to be straight forward, and requires way too much reading material. Worst part is; The test has no study guide. DOnt do it!!!
This teacher is pretty hard for someone who isn't politically aware. He uses many examples and those examples are never on the tests and yet they're the majority of his lecture. There is no study guide for the test and lots of reading. I didn't read and still got a B on the essays, just did a little research on the books. I don't reccomend him.
I definitely recommend reading the book! Also, while you are reading it, study all of the graphs/pictures/extra's in the chapter. Those seemed to be on the test. There is no study guide so the best thing you can do to help yourself understand what you need to be focusing on is by going to class and taking good notes.
I think that Aaron's teaching style is one that either you love or hate. If you can pay attention in lectures and remember what you read (connecting the two as you read), then the class isn't that hard. He keeps things interesting and his tests aren't ridiculous. They're mult. choice with a small essay. I enjoy/respect him as a teacher.
Great Teacher!!
Awesome teacher, lectures are very entertaining.
You MUST read EVERY textbook chapter assigned. Tests are extremely long, usually 60-100 multiple choice questions and an essay. You need to take what you read and learn in class and be able to apply it overall as many his questions are meant to trip you up.
Go to his office at least twice a semester & speak up in class. He will give you the grade he believes you deserve. He decides what he is going to teach as he goes along. As opposed to what his syllabus says, your grade is 2+- tests and a handful of 30-60 point quizzes. Because of this, one bad test or quiz can wreck havoc on your grade.
I am a Poli-Sci minor and loved this class. Read the Textbooks and any additional books or you wont pass the class, however the information is pretty basic and lectures are pretty straight forward. If you ever have a question he will be happy to answer it and explain anything you don't understand. All in all a great teacher who's class is awesome
I needed that class and he was the only one left, bad bad decision. HARD CLASS if you are not going to read the 4+ books you are supposed to, lecture is not important at all, just examples from the news. Taking good notes doesn't even help in the tests. Essays are 4 pages long and you don't have a lot of time after an 80 question test. AVOID.
Rodrigues is super straight forward; do your reading, take good notes in class and you will do great. No homework, entire grade based on 60 plus question MC "quizzes" and a few exams. He usually sends the potential essay questions for exams to you ahead of time and will pick a few for you to choose from for the actual exam. Hilarious mannerisms.
I took this class the summer before my sophomore year of high school and i can honestly say it was my favorite class I've ever taken. His lectures are entertaining and thorough. However, if you're going to pass, you have to take notes and read the book(s). Bottom line, if you're willing to work hard, take it!
You will read an entire Poly Sci book, plus two others. Tests are from both lectures and the book. You have to read ALL OF THE BOOKS assigned. Your grade is based on four exams which are multiple choice followed by an essay. This class is not easy. Show up to every class and take notes, and read everything that is assigned and you'll pass with an A
I didn't think I would like this class, but i ended up loving it! The lectures are always lively and engaging. The teacher encourages participation and loves answering questions. But, this class is not easy. Do the reading (there's a lot of it), show up for class, and take good notes then you'll be fine.
His lecture style was a little hard to get used to at first but I soon loved it. He gives great local examples of things that help you really remember things. Your grade is based on 4 tests, 3 have in class essays, DO THE READING OR YOU WILL FAIL. I always went in to his office hours the day before a test and asked him questions. He is very helpful
Great lectures. You can tell hes very passionate about what he teaches. Lots of reading but if you study and show up to class its not too difficult.
I'm unsure why he is getting poor reviews? Rodrigues is awesome! He is hilarious. He uses some tasteful language but he's passionate about politics and makes lectures super interesting. Your grade only consists of 4 tests. He & his TA are very available in office hours to help! Write in different colors on essays, he likes it and will grade better
Aaron is my favorite teacher at Cuesta. I have had him for almost all my poly sci classes and he is just a great guy. Willing to help at all cost, he cares a lot. He is also hilarious. You should definitely read the book but its really interesting no matter what! I would highly recommend Aaron to anyone.
One of the most disappointing teachers I have ever had. He does not care at all whether his students are successful. Does absolutely nothing to help the students pass the class. Makes you read two novels and the textbook. Test only class, no other grading and no homework besides reading. Would never take a class from him again.
I love Aaron and he knows it. He is a great professor and when he lectures it is clear he knows what he's talking about. He lectures a lot and its not from the book so its up to you to form the connections and always read the book!. I took his classes my 4 semesters at Cuesta and I can honestly say he was my favorite teacher.
Rodrigues is a great lecturer and gives the most interesting local examples. The tests are the only grades you'll have and they're easy as long you do the reading and take notes. If you need any extra help or have questions, he's happy to help and always available during his office hours.
Professor Rodrigues issues a test every 2 weeks or so. You don't really need to attend class, but it may be helpful. The class was tough, with tons of reading; the class directly reflected on the reading.
Rodrigues is my favorite political science professor by far. POLS201 is a tricky class, but he definitely makes lectures interesting.
Rodrigues has awesome examples for basically every topic. You can tell he's super passionate about Political Science, but doesn't try to push his own beliefs on you. Definitely a lot of reading, but the books are amazing and totally worth it.
I was excited to take this course, unfortunately Rodrigues kind of ruined it for me. I was lucky enough to have an embedded tutor in my class and even though I went to her study sessions at least once a week (if not more) I still did not pass. Your entire grade in the class is based solely on the 4 exams. I ended with a 69% in the class- no curve.
I did not expect this class to be as difficult as it was. I went to every class, took notes and still did not do well. Test are very difficult and far from what he lectures, lectures freely but the tests are purely by the book. Doesn't seem to care about his students grades. Your grade is based off of only 4 exams; you do poorly on those you fail.
A lot the the bad reviews for this Prof are bc of his teaching style of no HW and tests only, I went into this class expecting it to be like any other. The first test is rough only because you dont know what to expect. He does have in-class-essays on tests if you study those you WILL do well. Aaron is hilarious just put time in & you'll pass.
I have taken all of Aaorn's classes and can easily say he is one of my favorite professors. Though his classes are relatively difficult, there is often interesting conversation on topics, additionally he keeps you conscious of other important areas such as current events, history, culture, religion and others to give more context for understanding
His idea of "class participation and discussion" is filling in the blanks to his very specific lecture material. He is intelligent but rude. Be prepared for a lot of uneccessary innapropriate "discussion". Plenty of foul language for no good reason. I am well into adulthood and it makes me uncomfortable. Subject matter is heavy, wordy and specific.
Personally love Rodrigues! I have taken multiple of his classes. If you pay attention to the lectures, take notes, and read the material you will do well. I learned a lot from his lectures and never felt like I was wasting my time. His class is difficult but rewarding! Plus he is funny and enjoys his subject.
Mr. Rodrigues is a very engaging lecturer. I loved how he would always relate the topics to local events. Class format is simple: your grade consists of 4 exams and there is no homework. In order to pass you need to take lecture notes and read all of the chapters in addition to 2 novels. Its a lot of reading, but do the work and youll do well.
Grade is based on four exams that his lectures dont prepare you for. Spends way too much time scrolling through questionable web pages. Dude is cringey. Delivers a story about incest with a smile.
We only got through 2/3 of material listed on the syllabus for comp gov. We were only graded on 3 quizzes (that had no lecture material content) and one opinion essay (assigned the class before finals) and the final exam (that had very unclear guidelines and not based entirely on class material). His lectures are often unfocused & discussion based.
Your only grades are on 4 tests that are based "half on lecture and half on reading" he says but honestly its pretty much just the reading and if you don't do it you will not do well.
Prof Rodrigues is a very educated and smart man. His lectures are high energy and relies on student participation, which is nice because it helped remember for later instead of him just having you take notes. Each day of lecture he goes over notes that are someones word for word on the lectures so pay attention. Grade is based solely on 4 exams.
I have taken 2 classes with Rodrigues and I have always greatly enjoyed them. Grades are mostly based on tests and one or two small papers. Tests can be challenging because they require an essay, but he is a very fair grader. His lectures are interesting, and you can tell he cares about his job. He inspired me to major in political science.
You will do well in this class and if you apply yourself. You need to be attentive in lectures and read the corresponding chapters. If you do so you will succeed. He is very intelligent, has a very impressive educational background.
Interesting lecture- But he has you read the text book and 2 novels on top of taking many unorganized notes, when he only test you on what you read using 69 questions and a long enough essay. Hes a tough grader and will scratch out parts and write condescending notes on the essays. Your grade is only based off of 4 exams also. Never again.
Professor Rodrigues is a quirky guy, but an effective instructor who involves his students in his lectures. His quizzes and exams are very long...
Rodrigues is a phenomenal professor. Definitely one of the best prof. I've ever had. He really explains every subj. with examples we can actually relate to. However, I studied and did office hours so much and didn't pass, everything he tells us to study is not on the exams & they are incredibly hard. Be ready to also read 3 novels.
I've taken this Professor multiple times and absolutely love his classes. He gives great lectures and is a very nice professor. Beware - all of the grade is based on ONLY EXAMS. So if you have test anxiety, definitely do not take. Highly recommend though!
Only grades you on tests so be ready for that. His lectures are great. I've taken multiple classes with him and enjoyed them all.
Class Info
Attendance Mandatory
81%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B+
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Improving
+0.96 avg changeRatings by Course
204206
5.0
(1)GOVERNMENT
5.0
(1)POLITICALSCIEN
5.0
(1)POLISCI2
5.0
(1)POLS205
5.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
GOVT2
5.0
POLIT2
5.0
POSCI2
5.0
POLIS1
5.0
POLISECT
5.0